Matt yammers on about cartoonist MILTON CANIFF and lesser topics for the edification of millions.

Friday, August 27, 2010

CANIFF NEWS

Steve Canyon, Volume 3 DVD is on the way. While a release date has not been announced, all the news about the third and final installment of the "Steve Canyon" TV series on DVD, including cover art, can be found at the Steve Canyon on DVD blog. Project mastermind John Ellis has been diligently working at making this the last, best statement for what many thought was a TV series lost to the ages. Ellis has been indefatigable in his efforts to include as many documentary and commentary features as possible to complement the set. He has experienced several technological and financial setbacks, but, like Lt. Col. Stevenson B. Canyon, Ellis refuses to quit until the job is done to his satisfaction. You can pre-order Season 3 on his site and, while you're there, order some for your friends to get them hooked on this gem of aviation!

* SPIRIT OF FLIGHT AWARD - The 2010 Milton Caniff "Spirit of Flight" award was presented on July 16th by the National Aviation Hall of Fame. This year's honoree was the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). You can read about the important role of the NBAA here.

The National Cartoonist Society (NCS) held their 64th Annual Reuben Awards on May 29th. This year there were two honorees for the Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award - Joe Kubert and George Booth. Kubert was honored for his amazing body of work and for the legacy of his cartooning school. Booth has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine since 1969. An incomplete list of past Caniff winners can be found here. (Kubert photo from Daryl Cagle's website).

Hermes Press has announced two Steve Canyon reprint projects, beginning in 2011. The first will reprint material from the 6-issue 'Steve Canyon' series published by Harvey Comics in 1948. Hopefully it will include 'Steve Canyon's Air Power', a special comic Harvey did in cooperation with the Air Force Association. The second project will reprint "the seven completely original Steve Canyon comic books" that were printed by Dell as part of their Four Color anthology. This is terrific news as these have never been reprinted. Caniff fans take note that he had limited involvement with the comics, choosing to farm the art out to Ray Bailey and William Overgard.

The 2010 Festival of Cartoon Art (FoCA) is this October 14-17th at the Ohio State University, home of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. The event is a mixture of lectures, scholarship, art and celebration of the comics medium. This year's many guests include Simpsons creator Matt Groening, former DC President Paul Levitz and 2010 Reuben award winner Dan Piraro. Activities include a 100th birthday party for the 'Krazy Kat' comic strip, an event with current artist-in-residence Art Spiegelman, and a tribute to Jay Kennedy, who was an underground comix expert as well as editor-in-chief at King Features. For information on all of the programming and how to register for this comic scholar's dream weekend, go here.

Coinciding with the FoCA at Ohio State, but running from September 7th - January 2nd is an exhibition on Billy Ireland. Ireland was a cartoonist for the Columbus Dispatch newspaper from 1898 until his death in 1935. Most of that was spent as head of the art department and drawing his regular Sunday feature, The Passing Show. He also hired and mentored Milton Caniff and fellow Chillicothe native Noel Sickles. 'Ireland of the Dispatch' is on display at the Thompson Library Gallery. The gallery is open daily. Click here for hours and more information.

ROB HANES ADVENTURES! - Randy Reynaldo has always cited Milton Caniff as the influence behind his series. Now the escapades of his globe-trotting hero are being collected in trade paperback beginning with Volume 0, due out this month. This volume collects issues #1-4 of 'Adventure Strip Digest', Reynaldo's first series to feature Rob Hanes. Check out Randy's own site or the nice write-up he got from Newsarama.